Choosing the right scope (Part 3)

An oscilloscope's maximum sample rate is closely related to its maximum available acquisition memory depth. Even though a scope may have a maximum sample rate that might be con锟絪idered fast enough to capture your highest speed signals, this does not mean that the scope always samples at this high rate. Scopes sample at their fastest rates when the timebase is set on one of the faster time ranges. But when the timebase is set to slower ranges to capture longer time spans across the scope's screen, scopes automatically reduce sample rates based on the available acquisition memory.

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Originally published by Agilent Technologies Inc. at www.agilent.com as "Oscilloscope Selection Tip 3: Acquisition Memory".